U.S. retail meat sales hit $112B

The Meat Institute and FMI — The Food Industry Association — said on March 2 that U.S. retail meat sales reached a record $112 billion in 2025, according to their 21st annual Power of Meat report. The groups said pound sales rose 2.0% and dollar sales rose 6.8%, based on Circana data, even as grocery prices remained elevated. DRGNews later highlighted the findings on May 20, reporting that shoppers kept prioritizing protein and fresh meat purchases. ### Where did the $112 billion figure come from? The $112 billion figure came from the 2026 edition of the Power of Meat report, which was released at the Annual Meat Conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The report was issued by the Meat Institute and FMI and used Circana data to measure retail meat department sales in calendar 2025. (fmi.org) Circana data in the report showed the meat department reached $111.9 billion in sales for the full year, which the groups rounded to $112 billion in public releases. The same data showed meat was the biggest and fastest-growing perimeter department in 2025, according to industry coverage of the report. (fmi.org) ### Was this only inflation, or did people buy more meat too? The report said volume increased as well as revenue. Pound sales rose 2.0% in 2025, which indicates shoppers bought more meat by weight even as they paid more overall. (feedstuffs.com) Grocery Dive, citing comments at FMI’s annual meat conference, reported that strong shopper interest in protein remained a key sales driver. DRGNews said consumers continued to prioritize protein and fresh meat despite higher grocery prices. ### Which shoppers were driving the gains? (fmi.org) Millennials and Gen Z were a driving force behind the growth, according to the Meat Institute and FMI. Industry coverage of the report said those younger shoppers accounted for a large share of unit growth in 2025. (grocerydive.com) More than 98% of U.S. households purchase meat, the groups said, and 45% of shoppers said they were actively trying to prepare more meals containing meat or poultry. Those figures help explain why sales stayed strong across income-sensitive grocery trips. (meatinstitute.org) ### Why did fresh meat stand out in the report? DRGNews said fresh meat purchases remained a priority for shoppers in 2025. The broader Power of Meat findings also pointed to meat’s role as a center-of-plate item in household meals, with consumers continuing to view it as a protein source and part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. (fmi.org) The 2025 Power of Meat infographic said 90% of Americans consider getting enough protein very or somewhat important. It also said eggs, chicken and beef ranked at the top of foods consumers view as protein-rich. ### How does this compare with the prior year? (drgnews.com) The prior annual report put 2024 retail meat sales at about $104.6 billion to $105 billion. That means the 2025 total represented another record after meat sales had already set a high the year before. (fmi.org) The next formal benchmark for this data will come with the following Power of Meat release from the Meat Institute and FMI at a future Annual Meat Conference, after the groups compile another full year of Circana retail sales data. (fmi.org) (supermarketperimeter.com)